Texas Man Executed for 1998 Double Murder

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Charles Victor Thompson, 55, was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday in Huntsville, Texas for the 1998 murders of his ex-girlfriend Glenda Dennise Hayslip and her new boyfriend Darren Keith Cain. Thompson was convicted of fatally shooting the two in Hayslip's suburban Houston apartment. He had previously escaped custody after being sentenced to death but was later recaptured.

Why it matters

Thompson's execution marks the first in the U.S. this year, reigniting the debate around capital punishment. Texas has historically carried out the most executions of any state, though Florida led the nation in 2025. The case also highlights issues around medical negligence claims and the challenges of ensuring secure custody of death row inmates.

The details

According to court records, Thompson went to Hayslip's apartment in April 1998 and got into an argument with Cain around 3 a.m. Police were called and told Thompson to leave, but he returned three hours later and shot both Hayslip and Cain. Cain died at the scene, while Hayslip died a week later in the hospital. Thompson's attorneys had argued that Hayslip actually died from medical negligence during her treatment, but a jury rejected this claim in 2002. Thompson was resentenced to death in 2005 after his original sentence was overturned, and he briefly escaped custody before being recaptured.

• The murders occurred in April 1998.
• Thompson was executed on January 29, 2026.
• In 2002, a jury found in favor of Hayslip's doctor in a lawsuit alleging medical negligence.
• Thompson was resentenced to death in November 2005.
• Thompson briefly escaped custody shortly after being resentenced in 2005.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The next execution scheduled in the U.S. is the February 10th lethal injection of Ronald Palmer Health, who was convicted of killing a traveling salesman during a 1989 robbery in Florida.